57. Cade
Cade
I watched as this guy he had tripped Len. Len lost his balance but quickly regained his balance and ran full speed, but the guy had already closed the distance and won the race. Then Len crossed the finish line, and the Mercy finished. She was the fastest runner in Shadow Pack. I was sure she would have come in first. The three had beaten the rest with a considerable distance between them. I wondered if the snow on the ground had to do with the other's delay. I was not surprised when Kaya told me that Saka had one endurance test.
But finding out George had come in second was a real shocker. I wondered if Kaya, having given him a pep talk yesterday, had helped him keep running. She had taken him to the packhouse and made sure he got a bed in a warm place. She was compassionate. Seeing her try her best to root and aid our pack made me happy. She was doing the small things a Luna did for her pack.
Charlie came up to me. "Cade, so Saka won the endurance test." "Kaya told me." "Who knew the North was so talented. They have taken first in two of the challenges and third in the race. They are the ones to beat, I guess." "Yeah, they are pretty hardy, and with the snow, I think they will be harder to beat." "Well, your pack is also doing a hell of a job. I mean, you guys placed second in every challenge. You know that has to be infuriating to some of the others."
"When are they not pissed at Shadow Pack?" It was true even when my parents were ruling Shadow Pack, other packs openly despised us because we were a strong pack. If they knew how I trained everyone in the pack five days a week and all trained from 13 to 40, they would see us as more of a threat. But I would never allow what happened as a child to happen again to Shadow Pack. Everyone who had a wolf would be able to fight.
"I think it is a good thing we are allies; my pack is good and strong, but we are small." "Charlie, you are a good alpha, and treat your pack right. I am glad we have an alliance." I liked Charlie and considered him a friend. We met as kids, and I spent some time with his pack. His father had stepped down when Charlie entered his thirties. His father had been a good alpha, but he had also not come to my parent's aid when they needed it, so I felt a bit of prejudice toward him.
Charlie would come to aid me if I asked him, which made me feel confident. I still hated the idea of him being stuck with Annalise, but mating with her would benefit his pack greatly. I understood that is why he was considering it. "So, how is it going with Annalise?" "Honestly, she is fine, I guess. Kind of a bit snob, isn't she?" I didn't say anything. I didn't want to dissuade him. Or tell him I thought the only word to describe her was Bitch.
"Your lack of response tells me everything, Cade. But it doesn't matter, matting her would be best for my pack. I am sure in time, maybe she would mellow out. It isn't like her dad would just step down right away. She would be around more down-to-earth people, and she would mellow, and then when her dad did step down and we took over Black Night Pack, she would have calmed down and maybe not be so haughty." I hoped that would be the case.
At least he had a positive outlook on it, and that was good. "At least she is nice to look at." I agreed Annalise was a beautiful she-wolf. It is why I slept with her in the first place. That and a bottle of whisky. In truth, I don't remember too much of that night, but it happened, and I was glad it would never happen again. "I am glad you have a good outlook, Charlie." "I know Howie is just as interested in her. Do you know much about his pack?" "No, I don't know much about Daybreak pack other than they are an old back from the other side of the country."
"Why did you invite them then?" "I knew they stuck to themselves and had not been in conflicts with other packs for the last twenty years, so I thought they might be a good pack to pair Annalise with, seeing as they were non-threatening." "Makes sense, I guess. I still don't know why Jack has you arranging the match." "You know why, Charlie." "Still, I don't know how Kaya stands it." "Kaya hates it, I can assure you. She put Annalise in the hospital the first day she was here." "So that is why Jack fought her; I knew there was a reason."
"But I was told Annalise was a good fighter." "She is but Kaya. Well, Kaya is a great fighter." "You are lucky to have such a badass mate. I was told she and her friends provided all the meat for the tournament?" "Yeah, they are big hunters." "Dam, I wish I could get a mate from the North. Do you think any of them would mate with me if I tried? That Kimi she is cute?" "Fat chance they only mate with their fated." "Well, dam, you lucky bastard."
I laughed. "You know I have to ask what is up with their tattoos. I know the men have the same back tattoo, but Kaya and Kimi have face tattoos that are different. Kaya also has one on her chest and her ears. Kimi has some on her arms. The guys also have tattoos on their arms." I didn't think about sharing this information; it was not some big secret. "The ones on the women's face is their family tattoo. All the girls get them. The back tattoos are on all of them. It is their Pack Tattoo. As for Kaya's chest piece, it is a protective tattoo. The others have protective tattoos on their arms, but in the North, I saw that everyone has Protective tattoos, and they could be anywhere on their bodies. As for the tattooing in and around Kaya's ears, it was to help her with the pain when she lost her hearing."
He just looked at me. He was processing everything. He changed the subject. "I always hoped that the Goddess would give me a second chance, mate, but it never happened." "Kaya would tell you you have not been praying to the Goddess or living the right way, and that is why you have not gotten a second chance, mate." "What? People still worship the goddess." "The North does." "Maybe I will try that. But what is considered living, right?" "Hunting living more as a wolf does versus the human side." "They really are different from us, aren't they?" "You have no idea."
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